1.31.2010

THE 2009 LULUs: StinkyLulu's Best Supporting Actresses of 2009

Continuing a tradition begun just last year, I offer the 2009 LULUs - recognizing those actresses at the edges who most impressed me in 2009. Once again, the LULUs embrace the perennial question of "what's too big" and "what's too small" to be considered "supporting" actressness and, to that end, the LULUs offer recognition in three supporting actress sub-categories: Long Form, Short Form, & Traditional Scale. Each category acknowledges the different work being done by the increasingly broad array of performances that find themselves, rightly or wrongly, gathered under the umbrella of "Supporting Actress." (Please note that -- as of this writing -- I have yet not seen the following films and, thus, do not rank performances contained therein: The Messenger, In the Loop, Public Enemies, The Stoning of Soraya M., The Maid, The Last Station, etc.) So, without further ado...

Best Supporting Actress - Long Formexcellent performances from women at the center of their films,in what might arguably be leading (or co-leading) roles

Best Supporting Actress - Short Formmemorable work by women in a mere handful of scenes

Mariah Carey - PreciousSolid. Sincere. Shows the glimmer of formidable chops.Julianne Moore - A Single ManA delirious, messy blast of color and life.Rosamund Pike - An EducationUndeniably dim. Brilliantly witty. Utterly believable.Carrie Preston - DuplicityPreston's precision and pluck scene-steals the movie right out from under her megawatt costars, if only for that moment or two.Deborah Rush - Julie and JuliaA tiny, inconspicuous performance that somehow stirs great depths of feeling within both the film and its star's turn.

* * * * *Best Supporting Actress - Traditional Scalea pivotal character, essential to more than a handful of scenes,though in less than 30% of film's total screen time

Penélope Cruz - NineStaggering. Sexy and tragic (while delivering the only genuine laughs in entire the movie).Vera Farmiga - Up in the AirGorgeous and glib yet also heartbreakingly human. Kerry Fox - Bright StarA stirring, sweet and cliché-smashing portrait of sensible motherlove. Mo'Nique - PreciousNot since Carrie has a mother's "love" been so voracious, so vicious, so contradictory, so monstrous yet so real.Olivia Williams - An EducationAn uncommonly subtle, complex characterization of an all-too familiar character.

I love that you included Penelope Cruz in Broken Embraces here; she's the part I remember most about the movie and she was the best thing about it. She's really had a great tail end to the decade; a total turn-around from what, Vanilla Sky and All the Pretty Horses?

Love several of those. I thought Cruz' work in Broken Embraces was great. And loved her and Cottilard in Nine as well.

Love that you mention Rosamund Pike and Olivia Williams - such great work. And Deborah Rush, a lot. I keep hoping Melanie Laurent will be nominated. I know it's a long shot, but she's the coaster I'd pick for Inglourious Basterds